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Movement Science Hall of Fame

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Hall of Fame Honorees - 2023

Timothy Brillo 

(Class of 1992)

Physical Education Teacher, Athletic Director (2010-present), Ludlow (MA) High School.  Physical Education Curriculum Instructional Leader (2003-2010).  Westfield State College Assistant Football Coach (1999-2007, 2009).  Head Varsity Basketball Coach, Ludlow High School (1998-present).  Chair, District 1 Hockey Committee.  MIAA State Hockey Committee.  District 1, Executive Board and MIAA Athletic Committee.  2020 District F Athletic Director of the Year.

Tilia Fantasia (faculty) 

(Retired 1998)

Professor, Chair, Department of Movement Science, Sport and Leisure Studies, Westfield State College.  Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Vice-President of Student Affairs.  Initiated, developed and implemented Physical Education Majors’ Program.  Initiated Women’s Varsity Sports Teams in Field Hockey, Basketball, Softball, Gymnastics and Volleyball.  Coached Field Hockey and Softball.  President, Eastern District Association of American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Michael Gauthier 

(Class of 1979)

Physical Education Teacher, Mosier Elementary School, South Hadley, MA.  Mosier School Improvement Council Member (2014-present).   Executive Board Member, Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.  Associate/Supervising Practitioner for Springfield College.  Recreation Director for the Town of South Hadley (1998-2003).  Co-ed Soccer School Director, South Hadley Recreation Department (2009-present).  Inducted into the Westfield State University Sports Hall of Fame (2017)

Alyssa Wesoly Healy 

(Class of 2010)

Wellness Teacher, Dover-Sherborn High School, Dover, MA.  Vice-President Athletics (2011-2014), Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.  Developed wellness elective curriculum program (16 new classes).  Mentor for new wellness hires in the district.  Varsity Field Hockey Coach (2015-present), Holliston High School, MA.  Tri-Valley League Coach of the Year, 2015 & 2020.  Metrowest Daily News Coach of the Year, 2016.

Chad LaBonte 

(Class of 1997)

Physical Education Teacher, Department Chair (2012-present), West Springfield High School, MA.  Developed new curriculum for health, physical education and electives to encourage participation in lifelong activities.  Worked with architects to design new facility (as part of new high school) including indoor track, gym, pool, auxiliary space (yoga, dance, conditioning, etc.), weight room, outdoor tennis courts turf field, track and cardiovascular center.  Supervising Practitioner for Westfield State University.  Head Football Coach (2005-present).  2017 State Football Championship Finalist.

Jenny Linker Zarak 

(Class of 2004)

Associate Professor, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND.  2015 North Dakota College/University Physical Education Teacher of the Year.  Member, 2016 Exemplary Program of the Year award (North Dakota Society of Health and Physical Educators).  Chair, Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) – America Health/Physical Education Teacher Education Guidance Document Task Force.  2020 Peltier Award for Teaching Innovation Recipient, North Dakota State University.

Hall of Fame Honorees - 2021

Deborah Pelletier

(Class of 1985)

Physical Educator, Southampton Road Elementary School, Westfield, MA.  MIAA Track and Field Official of the Year (2016).   Ken Caouette Award for Service to the Western Massachusetts Track and Field Official’s Association (2007).  Grinspoon Award for Teaching Excellence in the Pioneer Valley (2005).

John Kurty (faculty)

(Retired 1988)

Assistant Professor, Department of Movement Science, Sport and Leisure Studies.  Committee for establishing a Physical Education Major at Westfield State College.  Westfield State University Athletics Hall of Fame (1994).

John Parker 

(Class of 1990)

Physical Educator, Hopkinton Middle School, Hopkinton, MA.  2016 Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD) Middle School Teacher of the Year Award.  Vice-President of Physical Education, MAHPERD Executive Board (2017-2020). 

Martha van Allen (faculty)

(Retired 1994)

Professor, Department of Movement Science, Sport and Leisure Studies.  Awarded American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) Presidential Medallion (1986).  Received 1986 Merit Award in Physical Education from AAHPERD (now SHAPE America).

Erica Pratt

(Class of 2000)

Assistant Professor, Physical Education Department, SUNY-Cortland.   Program Coordinator, preparing future professionals (physical educators) for the field.  Research recognized by the International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education.   Recipient of the JTPE Metzler-Freedman Exemplary Paper Award.

Jayson Ramalho

(Class of 2011)

Assistant Principal, South Row Elementary School, Chelmsford, MA.  Westfield State University Alumni of the Year (2016-2017) Award.  Comprehensive Grammar School Teacher of the Year (2017-2018) Award, Methuen Public Schools, MA

2019 Hall of Fame Honorees (Inaugural Class)

Mike Perry

(Class of 1976)

Physical Educator, Bridgewater/Raynham School District, Bridgewater/Raynham, MA.  Inducted into the MA Basketball Coach’s Hall of Fame in 2015.   Five-time MIAA Coach-of-the-Year.

Jack Mosko

(Class of 1978)

Physical Educator, Garfield Middle School, Revere, MA.  Received the 2017-2018 Inspirational Award from the Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.   Multiple Coach-of-the-Year honors with Revere High School Track and Field team.

Mark Fournier

(Class of 1978)

Physical Educator (adaptive), retired in 2014 from his most recent position in the Holyoke Public Schools, Holyoke, MA.  Worked with Unified Sports Program which partnered mainstream and special needs students in basketball, soccer and volleyball.

Dave Finch

(Class of 1979)

Physical Educator (Head of Department), Wilton/Lyndeborough High School, Wilton/Lyndeborough, NH.  Served as the Athletic Director from 1981-1990 & 1992-1994 and coached varsity baseball for 18 years.

Cindy Coughlin

(Class of 1980)

Physical Educator, retired in 2018 from her most recent position at Alice Beal Elementary School, Springfield, MA.  White House Champions of Change Recipient, Let’s Move (2012).   Grinspoon Teacher of Excellence Award (2008).

Mark Allen

(Class of 1980)

Head Athletic Trainer/Professor, Western Connecticut University, Danbury, CT.  Selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee as an Athletic Trainer.   Serves on the CT Athletic Trainers Association Board of Directors.

Karen Pawlishen Gomez

(Class of 1998)

Physical Educator, Westfield Technical Academy, Westfield, MA.  Athletic Director of the Year (District F) in 2015.  American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Mable Lee Award Winner (2008).

Abigail Wrinn

(Class of 2005)

Physical Educator, Windsor Locks Middle School, Windsor Locks, CT.  2016 CT Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Middle School Teacher-of-the-Year.  National Association of Sport and Physical Education Mable Lee Award Winner (2014).

Mike Burtch

(Class of 2009)

Physical Educator, Bigelow Middle School, Newton, MA.   Founding Board member of the United State Tchoukball Association (2014).  Grinspoon Teacher of Excellence Award (2011).